Survey Says
by Em Pataki
Summary: Everyone in Mr. Simmons' class is required to choose a topic they are interested in and create a survey for the class to do on it. One of the students may use this as an opportunity to prove how great they've always said they are.
1. Chapter 1

REQUESTED BY: ENVYTHESKUNK

Chapter 1: Rate Me

 _P.S.118 Hallway_

"Check out my new Pre-Teen Miss sweater! The same one that's shown on the cover of this months magazine!" Rhonda exclaimed, while showing off her new outfit to the girls in her class.

"Oh my! It's lovely Rhonda!" Sheena said excitedly.

Rhonda leaned against the locker with her arms crossed and a smile stretched across her face, knowing how popular she was.

Moments later, the bell for the first class rang. As she began heading down the hall with the rest of the girls, Rhonda heard an eruption of laughter taking place from behind. "HAHAHAHAH!"

The wealthy girl then turned to see the boys pointing at the gum that was stuck to her new sweater. "Hey look everybody! Rhonda wears gum on her clothes! Haha!" Harold mocked his friend, while pointing a finger at the sticky spot.

"Boy howdy! Nice outfit!" Sid added, happy it wasn't his shirt that had been ruined.

 _P.S. 118_

 _Classroom_

"Hello class! It's another special day!" Mr. Simmons waved to his students upon entering the room.

The students sat unamused in their desks, knowing how the simplest things could bring a smile to his face.

"Today, I have something very special in mind…"

 _Pttss...of course you do._ The pigtailed girl sitting three rows back thought to herself. Helga sat hunched over in her desk, doodling in her notebook, not caring to pay the excited teacher any attention until she heard…

"Our new assignment is for each of you to make your own survey to pass out to the class! Isn't that exciting?!"

As the blonde girl sat up to cock her brow at the unusual task assigned, the rest of the class heard "Survey? What in the heck is that?"

Phoebe, who had been listening attentively to her teacher, decided to take it upon herself to answer Stinky's concern. "What Mr. Simmons is referring to, is a list of records indicating a certain group of peoples' opinions on a particular topic."

The teacher smiled at his intelligent student, who always seemed to be willing to clear things up for the class.

After being filled in on all the details, Rhonda sat in her desk, having a hard time believing she had just been made fun of. She was the most popular girl in class. How could anyone have the nerve to mock her?

It was then, a thought entered her mind. If she _really_ wanted to know what the class' opinion was of each other, what better way than by doing a survey on them?

 _Cafeteria_

Arnold and Gerald were standing in the lunch line discussing the new assignment. While Gerald new from the moment it was announced what his topic would be, Arnold was still having trouble deciding.

"So, you're going to do your survey on Pop Daddy?"

"You bet man! Anyone here would be crazy not to rate him well." Gerald insisted.

Just as they were exiting the line, Arnold turned to see his girlfriend reading something Rhonda had handed to her.

 _Table_

"You seriously expect us to rate each other?" Helga asked, cocking her brow.

Understanding the offense Helga felt towards the situation, Phoebe added "Rhonda, I believe the purpose of the assignment was for us to choose an interest, in hopes to find a higher volume of people resembled us than we originally knew."

Before responding to the reasonable remark, Rhonda turned her head to hear "What's going on guys?"

"Oh there you are." the snooty girl with the sticky sweater said.

"Princess here seems to feel the way to get herself an A, is by having all of us give each other F's." Helga said wittily.

The boys took a seat, stunned at the description of Rhonda's intentions. Having sat down, Arnold and Gerald were handed their own surveys to complete.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I have more of these to pass out. You may hand them in to me before leaving class this afternoon."

"Mm, mm, mmm. That girl just can't get enough of herself." Gerald felt the need to point out, while watching the high class pre-teen head for a new table.

"The lowest this thing goes is 1. She doesn't even deserve that." Helga smirked, glancing at the sheet which had been handed to her…

Arnold 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Gerald 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Stinky 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Sid 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Harold 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Eugene 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Helga 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Phoebe 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Rhonda 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Nadine 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Sheena 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Lila 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

 _Another Table_

"Awww why do I have to do this stupid assignment! It's lunch time!" Harold whined, looking at the sheet Rhonda had handed him.

"You WILL do it Harold, and you WILL have it handed to me by the time classes are over."

"Okay...Madam fortress mommy." the angry boy mumbled, not knowing where to begin.

After seeing her leave the table, Stinky watched Rhonda continue to circle the cafeteria with her heavy stack of surveys she had spent the morning writing in class."Whilikers! Who do ya reckon the most popular kid is?"

"If I had to guess I'd say Arnold. I mean, he's always helping people." Sid reminded his friend.

 _Another Table_

"I have an oh too perfect idea! Let's all have a sleepover at my house and work on our surveys." Lila suggested.

"That sounds lovely!" Sheena agreed, taking a bite of her salad.

Just as the rest of the girls were about to chime in with their approval, they heard "Excuse me ladies, but I have something for you."

"What is it Rhonda?" Nadine asked, after being handed the paper.

"It's my survey for our class assignment. I need you all to rate your opinion or our classmates and hand it in to me before you leave today!"

While Nadine gave her friend a curious look, Lila smiled at said "The girls and I are having a sleepover at my place tonight. I'm ever so certain you should join us!"

"Sorry ladies. I'm going to be busy." Rhonda grinned, planning on tallying up the survey scores the moment she returned home from school.

 _Classroom_

Taking a seat in front of his girlfriend, Arnold turned to face Helga and asked "So, have you decided what your survey will be about?"

Leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed, the blonde girl scoffed "Wrestling doi!"

"That sounds uhhh interesting." Arnold said, knowing the other girls weren't likely to rate it too well.

The sweet boy then turned to face forward in his seat when he heard the teacher entering the room.

"Okay class. We get to continue our exciting lesson on fractions!"

"I don't get it? How is that exciting?" Stinky scratched his head in confusion, while Helga sat slouched in her desk, rolling her eyes in bewilderment at his ignorance.

Although _she_ understood the lesson, Rhonda took no interest in paying attention to it. The anxious preteen sat in her desk, eyeing the clock back and forth the last few hours of the day.

Finally, the bell rang. Just as Rhonda was ready to wait at the door for the class' papers, she watched Mr. Simmons acknowledge Arnold. "Yes Arnold?"

"Could I make an announcement to the class?"

"That sounds wonderful!" the joyful educator replied.

Rhonda slowly sat back down in her desk, with her hands still propped on top of it (as if she were waiting to pounce on someone).

Arnold stepped up in front of the class and said to his friends "I thought it would be a good idea for everyone to bring their surveys to my house Sunday night. That way, after we've all had a chance to create our topic ideas, all we have to do is hand each other the papers to answer."

"What a terrific idea Arnold! See you all Monday!" Mr. Simmons waved, as Rhonda jumped from her seat to wait at the door.

After being nearly knocked over, Helga snapped "Criminy Princess! That rush hour attitude of yours doesn't exactly scream cool!"

Holding out her hand for the surveys from the students who past her, Rhonda glared at Helga and said "For your information, I'm doing what any popular student would do, and that's staying ahead of the group."

"Pttss...right. Let us know if that's how you still feel about yourself after you tally up those scores." Helga scoffed, heading out the door with her boyfriend.

 _Walk_

"So what's your survey about football head?" Helga asked, holding her boyfriend's hand down the street.

"To be honest I'm having trouble deciding." he admitted, while blushing with embarrassment.

Helga cocked her brow at her boyfriend and asked "Since when can you not solve a problem?"

Turned to look at her with his signature smile that always managed to bring a dreamy look to her eyes. As he began to caress her hand with his thumb, he said "I don't have any problems right now. I have everything I need to make me happy, and I don't care about anyone's opinion of it."

Helga swooned at his sweet words, along with the idea of him not caring what anyone thought of him having such deep feelings for her.

 _Lila's Room_

"Gosh Lila! Your room is just lovely!" Sheena exclaimed, looking at the country girl's welcoming room. Yellow walls with pictures of the redheaded girl on the farm. A pink bed comforter decorated with flowers, and stuffed animals scattered across the room to remind her of when she grew up on the farm.

"Thank you just ever so much Sheena!" Lila said, unpacking her things from school.

"What should we do first?" Nadine was anxious to find out.

"I'm ever so certain we should start on the surveys!" Lila insisted, having pulled out her notebook.

The girls took a seat beside her on the floor, ready to think of their topics.

 _Phoebe's House_

"Have you chosen your survey topic Gerald?" Phoebe asked her boyfriend, sitting across from him on her bed.

"I told my man I'm getting the class' opinion of Pop daddy! If it's as good as I believe it is, I won't have to worry about it going off the air any time soon."

Giggling at her boyfriend's interest in the cartoon, Phoebe replied "I'm sure you'll receive an encouraging number of positive votes."

"Let's hope so. What's yours about babe?"

Smiling at the question, Phoebe replied "I've chosen to have everyone give their honest opinion of the list of books Mr. Simmons has chosen for us to read the past year. On a scale of 1 - 10, did the class feel it benefited their education well?"

Gerald gave his girlfriend a questioning look, hoping she knew what the results would look like.

 _Lila's House_

"I'm ever so certain my survey should be how the class feels about these farm animals…

Cow

Goat

Pig

Horse

Sheep

After looking at her friend's paper, Sheena smiled and said "That's lovely Lila! I've chosen to have them give their opinion on these delicious healthy snacks…

Celery

Carrots

Apples

Oranges

Bananas

"If you're interested in protein Sheena, I could show you the different types of insects that carry protein."

Grasshoppers

Crickets

Locusts

Roaches

Beetles

As Sheena looked over at her friend's list, she listened to Nadine add "The first three are said to be from the order Orthoptera, which are the richest in proteins."

 _Slausens_

"Aww I hate school! Who cares what anyone likes?" Harold complained, while shoveling down his hot fudge sundae.

"I'm doing my survey on pudding!" Stinky said excitedly, while receiving bewildered looks from the boys.

"Pudding?" Sid questioned.

Nodding in agreement, Stinky continued "I'm gonna make me a list of flavors for the class to pick their favorite from. Maybe they're all pick Lemon pudding like me!" Stinky hoped.

"Stinky. You're an idiot." Sid replied bluntly.

Disagreeing completely, Eugene butted in with his opinion and said "Oh that's a wonderful idea! I'm doing my survey on fish! I just love Angel so much guys."

"Yeah, well I'm doing mine on frogs. They're the coolest." Sid said, having gotten over his fear of germs.

"What about you Harold? What do you find interesting?" Stinky was curious to find out.

Swirling his spoon around in the empty bowl, Harold leaned his head in his hand as he stared out the window and sighed "Ohhh I dunno…."

Before letting out a heavy sigh, the troubled boy heard familiar music playing outside. His face then brightened as he said "Hey! I know what I'm gonna do!"

"What is it?" Sid asked anxiously.

"The Jolly Olly Man! I'm gonna do a survey on everyone's favorite ice cream!" Harold said, never having been so excited about a school assignment before.

 _Arnold's Room_

Having made it home, Arnold sat on his bed with his girlfriend, watching her put together her survey.

"You seem excited." he couldn't help but tease her.

Rolling her eyes at his remark, the now jittery girl leered "Even if the girls do hate this sport, something tells me my results will still be better than Princess' stupid survey. Sheesh!"

Scooting over to glance at her paper, Arnold wrapped his arm around Helga and said "I'm guessing those are all people you idolize."

Helga turned to cock her brow at the crazy remark and scoffed "Idolize? What planet are you from? Just because I like the sport doesn't mean I'm obsessed with these people like Princess and her stupid Pre-Teen models."

Smiling sweetly at her, Arnold pulled her close to kiss her cheek and said "I know. It's just cute watching you get excited about something."

Helga swooned heavily as she placed a hand on her cheek. Arnold continued to rub her shoulder, while he watched her turn to face him. What he found to be the cutest (yet complexing) thing about this girl, was when she let her guard down. Although Arnold was now aware of her feelings, Helga couldn't give into the idea of letting go of her reputation (and probably never would). That fact made moments such as these all the more sweet.

Shaking her head, Helga focused her mind on what he had said about her and replied "You're not too bad yourself when you have your head in the clouds."

Almost laughing at her nervous need to hide her emotions, Arnold pulled her close to kiss her. While running his fingers through her long, soft hair, he wondered what he could write about. Something she admired him for was his optimism. Although it had only been a day, he was beginning to feel pessimistic about the assignment.

 _Rhonda's House_

Rhonda sat in her room, anxiously tallying up the scores. While she had her assumptions about how well people would be rated, all that really mattered to her was coming out on top.

"At last! I've finished. The winner is...AHHH!"

 _The Boarding House_

"Well, see ya later football head." Helga waved goodbye to her boyfriend, trying not to be trampled by the stampede of animals on her way down the porch steps.

"See ya Helga."

After shutting the door, Arnold decided to stop in the kitchen for a glass of water. "Hey there shortman!" Phil greeted him.

"Hey grandpa."

"Uh oh? I sense another painful boyhood problem. Fess up." Phil insisted, while watching his grandson take a seat.

"It's nothing really. I'm just supposed to pick something I'm interested in to do a survey on." Arnold began to explain.

"Survey huh? That supposed to be the school's new way of rating teachers?" Phil asked.

"No grandpa. I'm not sure what to pick for my interest."

"Well if you ask me shortman, you seem to like helping people. Even those idiot boarders are always turning to you for advice. There's nothing they could say that would make me want to help them, but you're still young and full of patience."

"Uhhh right grandpa."

As Phil got up to leave, patting his grandson on the back, Arnold continued to sit at the table with his drink. There he sat wondering how his friends' felt about what Phil had just pointed out…

 _You seem to like helping people_

On the one hand, his friends were always turning to him in their time of need. On the other, Helga had pointed out how hard it was for him to mind his own business. Just because they needed him, didn't mean they liked the idea of it. There was only one way to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

**THIS CHAPTER IS SHORT. THE FUN STARTS WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

 **ALSO, I'M SORRY BUT I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE MAKING 12 DIFFERENT NUMBER CHARTS (THERE'S NO TELLING HOW LONG THIS CHAPTER WOULD BE) SO I JUST MADE A LIST WITH RHONDA'S OVERALL RESULTS.**

 **HOPE YOU LIKE AND REVIEW :)**

Chapter 2: Are You Sure About This?

Rhonda awoke the next morning, hoping it had all just been a terrible nightmare. There was no way the class found her to be as unpopular as her list calculated her to be. After getting dressed and ready to start the day, the stylish girl walked over to her desk, ready to get started on calculating the results she was sure she hadn't started on.

Once Rhonda had taken a seat, she looked down to see the already written scores…

Arnold - 10

Helga - 4

Gerald - 9

Phoebe - 7

Rhonda - 7

Harold - 6

Nadine - 6

Sid - 5

Eugene - 1

Sheena - 3

Stinky - 5

Lila - 9

"This cannot be happening! I'll never live this down after presenting this in class!" the petrified pre-teen insisted, holding the scores in her shaking hands.

 _The Boarding House_

 _Arnold's Kitchen_

"Morning shortman! Ever decide what to do about that paper of yours?" Phil asked curiously.

"What paper sweetie?" Stella asked, turning around from the sink.

"Why he and Eleanor are doing official white house research on all the young kids in school." Pookey replied.

Arnold watched his grandmother set a plate of pancakes in front of him, as he said "Actually, it's a survey I have to pick a topic for, then give to my friends to fill out."

"Sounds interesting son." Miles smiled, sitting on the opposite side of the table.

After taking a few bites of his meal, Arnold turned to his grandfather and said "Well, I thought about what you said. You know, about how I'm always helping people."

"Of course you are! This city should have renamed itself after you when you saved it! Of course if your dad had a little common sense and named you after me, the city would be named after both of us. Hehe." Phil laughed, nudging his grandson's shoulder.

"Dad…" Miles sighed, not appreciating the remark.

 _Harold's Dining Room_

Harold was sitting in the dining room, trying to decide which would be the best treats to choose for his survey.

"Uhh let's see...I know! A Mr. Fudgey! And a Sno Cone, and Chocolate Covered Bubblegum Drumsticks, and an Ice Cream Sandwich, and...and...an Ice Cream Cone! Alright!" the anxious boy cried out, marking it on his paper.

While the busy pre-teen was hard at work, his mother came in to hand him a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. "Here ya go Harold. "

"Thanks mom."

Jerry was sitting at the table reading his paper. Finding it unusual Harold wasn't digging into his meal, he asked "What's that you're working on son?"

"Nothing...just some dumb survey thing I have to turn in." Harold replied, not wanting to seem too excited about his homework.

"What's it on?"

"Ice cream." Harold smiled, having a hard time holding back his enthusiasm.

"Well that is wonderful!" Marilyn said, heading for the kitchen.

"Well, he could stand to pick a more mature topic."

"JERRY!" the sensitive woman cried out.

"What? A mature topic, that's all I'm saying? What's wrong with that?" Harold's father asked defensively.

Marilyn entered the room with her hands on her waist, not appreciating the remark her husband had made about their child. "Don't listen to him Harold. Use your creativity sweetie." she insisted, pinching her son's cheek.

"Ahhh mom! Cut it out would ya?"

 _Stinky's Back Porch_

"Whatcha working on son?" Stinky's father was curious to know as he rocked back and forth in his rocker on their back porch.

"I got me a survey Pa!" Stinky said excitedly, waving his paper at his father.

"What's it on?"

"I'm making it about pudding. Chocolate fudge, White Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, and my personal favorite...Lemon pudding!" the country boy said proudly.

The old man spit off the porch, bored at his son's description of the assignment. "Son, you're a dang fool."

 _Helga's Kitchen_

Helga sat at the kitchen counter with her head propped in one hand, making copies of the list of wrestlers she finally decided to use…

The Terminator

The Heartbreaker

The Undertaker

The Rock

The Hulk

As she sat there presuming no one in the class would be smart enough to even know who these people were, she heard…

"For crying out loud Miriam! How in the heck am I supposed to watch my new cellphone commercial with the TV on the fritz?"

Helga smacked her face with her hand, annoyed at the fact she couldn't make it through a single day without Bob's nagging, Miriam being hungover, or Olga's clingy behavior. Why did this have to happen to her? Suddenly, a new idea came to her mind for the assignment.

 _Sid's House_

Sid walked inside covered in mud, after spending the morning at the lake catching frogs. Tracking dirt through the house with his clothes sopping wet, he walked past his father Ray.

"Son, how many times have I told you not to come home looking like that?!"

"But I was catching frogs for my assignment. Look, there's a Tree Frog, a Glass Frog, a Pond Frog, a Fire-Bellied Frog, and a Poison Dart Frog! Wanna touch it?!" the anxious boy offered.

"I don't care if it's for your assignment. Keep them outside where they belong."

"But...but what about Sydney? You like him don't you?" Sid questioned.

Ray walked away, annoyed with his son's cluelessness. Sid stood bewildered by his father's reaction to his assignment.

 _Aquarium_

"Gosh! Thanks for bringing me to the aquarium dad! You're the greatest!" Eugene exclaimed, pulling him down the hall.

"No problem son. Where's you fish?" Nate asked, never having seen Angel before.

"He's right...hey? Where is he?" Eugene wondered.

The concerned parent searched the tank with his son until he noticed a fish being dragged along by a crab.

"I'm sure he's around here somewhere." Nate assured his boy, always feeling bad about the inconvenient luck his son seemed to be cursed with.

As he watched his boy pressing his hands against the glass, still searching for the fish, Nate asked "So, which fish have you chosen for your survey?"

Eugene's eyes lit with excitement, as he turned to answer "A Goldfish like Henry, A White Cloud fish, a Swordtail, a Betta and of course an Angel fish!"

 _Gerald's Living Room_

"Pop! Pop! Pop Daddy!"

Gerald sat on his living room couch beside his notebook, knowing there was nothing about the show his friends wouldn't like. All he had to worry about was picking the right characters for the survey. Just as he was getting comfortable on the couch, the TV channel was changed.

"Jamio! Give that back!" Gerald shouted, reaching for the remote.

"What are you gonna do about it?" the older boy asked, waving the remote in his younger brother's face.

Knowing he wouldn't win, Gerald marched into the kitchen to speak with his parents about the way he was always treated. "Mom, dad, I'm trying to do a report and Jamie O…"

"Gerald, I'm glad you're here." Martin interrupted "I've been going over the electric bill and you're playing way too many C.D's. Also the phone bill is getting out of hand."

Gerald let out a hopeless sigh, knowing his parents would never take his side when it came to Jamie O (let alone care).

 _Phoebe's Dining Room_

"Once again you've chosen an impressive topic for a school assignment, Phoebe dearest." Kyo said to his daughter.

Reba lifted her glass, toasting her daughter's intelligence as she said "Bottom's up!"

"Thank you mother, father." the small Asian girl blushed.

"When is your assignment due dearest?" Kyo looked to his gifted daughter for an answer.

"I will be joining my friend's at Arnold's tomorrow night. Everyone will be providing their opinions of one another's surveys."

 _Rhonda's Room_

Having realized it was too late to redo the numbers, the uptight girl concluded that didn't mean she couldn't change their use. Rhonda sat at her desk chair, picking out the people in class who had been made couples. By doing so, this would exclude her from revealing the low rating she considered herself to have been given.

Arnold and Helga - 7

Gerald and Phoebe - 8

Not feeling this was enough for her assignment, the snooty girl decided to add another name to the list.

Harold and Patty - 7.5

While Patty had been given no numbers (and wasn't in their grade), Rhonda was looking for any excuse at that point to draw the attention away from the fact she wasn't as popular as she had always said she was.

 _Helga's Room_

The blonde girl sat busily writing on her bed with a grin on her face. For years, everyone had known what a terrible family she possessed. Aside from Rhonda, few people cared to spend day after day bragging or complaining about how their family made them feel. Now was the chance to find out if anyone was as miserable as she seemed to be.

The constant movement of her pencil was interrupted by the loud banging on her door. "Hey Helga you in there?! It's your little friend Alfred downstairs!"

Not pleased by the fact Bob _still_ hadn't cared to get their names straight, Helga got up to greet her boyfriend at the front door.

Walking down the staircase, she saw him smiling and said "Hey football head how's it going?"

"Not bad. I just came to see how your survey's coming along." he replied.

What almost appeared to be an evil smile formed on her face, as she motioned for him to join her upstairs. "Come see for yourself."

The caring boy took a seat beside his girlfriend on her bed. After picking up the paper, a perplexed look formed on his face. "I thought you were making your survey about wrestling?"

Taking the paper back, Helga scoffed "Hey, you said yourself none of the other girls care about wrestling. Why waste my time with a topic I already know the answer to?"

A concerned look formed on Arnold's face. He understood where Helga was coming from. Her family had never treated her right. The results of a survey weren't going to fix her home life however.

Taking her hand in his, Arnold rubbed it gently with his thumb and asked "Are you sure you want to do this Helga?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: How Do You Really Feel?

 _The Boarding House_

 _Night of the Surveys_

Arnold was sitting in the kitchen finishing up his survey when Phil walked into the room. "Hey! Whatcha got there shortman?"

"I'm almost finished with my survey." Arnold said, holding the piece of paper up.

"Hmm...let me see that thing." Phil said, grabbing the sheet from his grandson.

" _Do you like when I help you? Yes or No?"_

"So what do you think?" Arnold asked anxiously.

Setting the paper aside, Phil replied "Arnold, did I ever tell you about the time my dad helped me study for my math test?"

"I don't think so?"

"Hehe...he used to bug me nonstop when he knew I had something important coming up. Coaching me left and right about how to study. Finally I told him how he was making me feel."

"What did you say?"

"I said I don't want your help! He was so offended, he left me alone the rest of the week. Then the big day came for me to take the test."

"How'd you do?" Arnold wondered.

"My dad asked me the same thing. I marched inside right up to him and asked 'Why didn't you help me study?' He gave me a crazy look…kind of like the one on your face. Then said 'You told me you didn't want my help."

"What'd you say to that?" Arnold asked.

"I told him, just because I didn't want it, didn't mean I didn't _need_ it!"

Arnold thought back to the night he sat alone thinking these exact thoughts to himself. When his friends told him to mind his own business, it wasn't long before they came looking for him to solve their problems again.

 _30 minutes later_

 _Arnold's Room_

Arnold sat in his room, watching his friends arrive one by one. He was anxious to see what everyone in the class had chosen to pick for their surveys. He felt he knew them well enough to have some sort of idea of what they would all choose. The only question was, how did _he_ feel about what they chose?

"Is everyone here?" the blonde boy asked, shutting the door behind his friends.

"Let's get to it man!" Gerald insisted.

Arnold went to take a seat beside his girlfriend, who he could see was eager to pass out her survey for the group.

Wrapping his arm around Helga, he began to rub her shoulder as he asked "Okay, who wants to go first?"

Looking forward to learning the results of the assignment, Phoebe raised her hand and said softly "I believe _I'm_ ready to pass out my well thought out question."

After passing out a sheet to each of her friends, Phoebe once again took her seat on the floor. Before having a chance to wonder which book would be in the class' best interest, she heard "Hey! Why do we have to read these dumb books again?"

Looking up from her paper, Rhonda rolled her eyes at the complaint and explained "Harold, we're not _reading_ them. We're simply giving our opinion about them."

"I don't reckon I recall liking these too much. The Giver, Tuck Everlasting, A Wrinkle in Time, Number The Stars, Schooled. What in the heck does Schooled mean anyway?" Stinky wondered.

"Oh for crying out loud, just mark an answer. This is private; no one has to know it was you who chose something." Helga snapped.

After choosing what the class felt they found to be the most enjoyable book, Phoebe happily collected the results.

Feeling things weren't going too bad so far, Arnold asked "Okay, who's next?"

"I'm just ever so certain I'd love to go! I'm oh so excited about which of these adorable animals you'll choose to be your favorite." Lila squealed, passing around her survey on farm animals.

Arnold looked at the survey, having a hard time believing Helga would find any of them to be _cute._ Then again, she said herself all anyone had to do was mark an answer.

Once it appeared as though everyone had chosen an answer, Lila collected her papers. Before she returned to her spot with the papers, the group heard "Can I go next? I'm so excited to see what you guys think of the fish I've chosen!"

 _Oh brother, what an idiot!_ Helga thought to herself, while watching the clumsy redhead rise to pass his _exciting_ topic around.

Stinky scratched his head while reading the list of choices given. "I'm confused, I thought Arnold killed your goldfish?"

Arnold blushed at the accusation, while the group listened to Eugene explain "Oh, I put his name down so you'd all remember what a goldfish is!"

"Seriously Eugene. What makes you think anyone could forget something like that when Harold brings goldfish crackers for a snack practically every day?" Rhonda reminded them.

"Well, I think it was just ever so thoughtful of you Eugene." Lila insisted, ready to hand the perky boy her paper.

Once they were all collected, Arnold wondered if now would be the right time to volunteer. He knew Helga planned on waiting to be the last person who passed out their survey. Before he could make up his mind, he heard…

"Alright man, my turn!"

Gerald then stood from the floor to hand out his list of Pop Daddy characters to the group. The pre-teens all took a sheet, viewing the characters their classmate had chosen for them to pick their favorite from.

"What if we've never seen the show before?" Sheena asked politely.

Gerald's eyes widened in disbelief. "Never seen Pop Daddy?!"

As she watched her friend stand in awe (speechless), Helga again snapped "Just mark an answer. Criminy! We're not graded on how great our opinions of these lame topics are."

"What did you put Eugene?" Sheena asked, ignoring Helga's advice.

Phoebe took notice of Helga rubbing her eyes in frustration and said "Although I understand your concern for having little knowledge of the show Sheena, these votes are meant to be confidential."

Once (what was considered to be half) the group finished guessing what a good character would be, Gerald collected the results.

"I'm sure you all know what these delicious food choices are. Please pick your favorite!" Sheena insisted, having decided to go next.

Nearly everyone in the room stared at the sheet in disbelief. How could there not be any sugary or fattening treats to choose from?

"What kind of good food choice list is this?!" Harold angrily demanded to know.

"Oh health food is definitely the best choice. Fruits and vegetables contain all the necessary fiber and nutrients your body needs to maintain a good lifestyle." Sheena insisted, not caring about the negative looks she was receiving from the group.

After the polite girl gathered the results from the no longer intrigued group, the gang listened to Harold say "Yeah, well I got a topic that's WAY more impressive!"

"Pttss...what is it? How we feel about seeing your uncovered stomach every day?" Helga smirked, watching the angry boy pull his shirt down.

"Hey! It's a good topic okay. It's about ice cream." Harold said proudly passing the papers around.

"Gee that is a great topic! I just love ice cream you guys! I...Ow! I'm okay." the excited yet uncoordinated boy tripped, while standing to reach for a survey.

"Boy howdy! Look at all the choices he gave us!" Sid exclaimed.

"I reckon you must have studied the Jolly Olly man's truck all day Harold." Stinky said, impressed by the list of flavors they were given to choose from.

"Oh please! I think we've all eaten there enough to have a vivid idea of what items he carries." Rhonda insisted, feeling no more impressed with the information than she was by the topic itself.

After watching the group having a much easier time choosing their favorite item on _this_ food list, Harold collected the papers.

Arnold was happy to see things were going well, but was still nervous about what his classmates would think of him. Even if they did appreciate him, it would still be nice for them to enjoy his help.

"Who's next you guys?" the blonde boy asked, seeing they were getting through the assignment much quicker than planned.

"I'll go! I showed this list to some of the girls already at Lila's sleepover." Nadine informed the group, while passing around her insect survey.

"Ewww Nadine! That's disgusting!" Rhonda insisted, not wanting to answer the question.

"It's not disgusting. It's part of nature. Besides, this is _my_ survey. It can be on whatever I want it to be." Nadine reminded her modish friend.

"Uhhh fine! Don't expect anyone to actually _care_ about what they're marking." Rhonda warned her.

Although Helga wasn't one to agree with Rhonda, she felt she had a point. No one in the room was as dedicated to the insect world as Nadine was. Any answer that was marked on the survey would more than likely be one chosen at random.

"Bugs aren't so bad you guys." Sid said, while watching Nadine collect the papers. "Frogs eat flies all the time. In fact, that's what I decided to do my report on. A few of the different types of frogs there are! I spent the day at the lake searching for as many types as I could find."

Gerald shook his head, impressed by his friend's determination. "Mm, mm, mmm. The frog catching king of P.S.118!"

Sid circled the room, curious to know what his friends would choose to be their favorite frog. Much like Nadine's topic, he would have to take into consideration, half the class didn't know much about it.

Moments later, Sid began collecting the papers and Stinky looked to see there weren't too many people left who hadn't shown their topic. "I reckon I'll go next."

The country boy walked around the room, proudly handing out his carefully thought out topic to his friends.

"Well, the proof is in the pudding. Only you don't need to eat this paper to know how sad it is." Helga leered, unimpressed (yet not surprised) by her classmate's topic.

"Alright y'all. Pick your favorite pudding! If you're like me, it'll be lemon pudding."

"We know Stinky." Gerald assured him.

At last it was down to two people. While Stinky was up gathering his survey results, Gerald looked over to see his best friend still had his arm wrapped around Helga, who hadn't put down her stack of surveys.

"Well Arnold, whatcha got for us?" the laid back boy insisted on knowing.

Arnold took back his arm, to reach for his papers. As he grabbed them, he let out a deep breath and said "Well, I kind of had a hard time choosing a topic. Hopefully, you won't find this too awkward."

After passing out the papers, silence took over the room. Arnold quietly took his seat beside Helga as he listened to a voice ask "Arnold, what's this about?"

Looking over at his best friend, Arnold began to rub his neck. "Well I just thought that…"

"Yeah! Are you trying to trick us into making you mind your own business again? 'Cause that wasn't funny!" Harold warned him.

Arnold rolled his eyes at the accusation. Before given the chance to respond, he listened to "Yeah! You're not going to stop helping us again are you Arnold? Please say you're not?!" Sid panicked, grabbing hold of his hat.

"Relax Sid, I just wanted your honest opinion. That's all." Arnold assured them, having a good idea now of what their answers would be.

"Criminy. Take a chill pill you bunch of whiners." Helga insisted, while marking her answer on her boyfriend's survey.

After picking up the papers, Arnold looked at the pigtailed girl still sitting on the bed and said "Guess that just leaves you Helga."

As anxious as she was to find out the answers, she didn't know what to say about it. All she could think to do was pass out her paper and pray it wouldn't cause as big a scene as Arnold's did. That was too much to ask.

The moment she took a seat beside Arnold, Helga heard "Hey! Where's the multiple choices?"

Rolling her eyes at his density, Helga scowled "Read the question Pink boy!"

 _How do you feel about your parents?_

Watching Harold continue to stare at the sheet, Helga smacked her face and said "This isn't one of those made easy tests genius. I want to know what you think of your parents, and why."

"Awww! A stupid essay!" Harold whined in disbelief.

While watching her friend glare at the unhappy boy, Phoebe felt the need to give her opinion. "If I may say so Helga, this is quite a delicate topic that may take some time revealing our true feelings for."

Standing from the bed, Helga placed her hands on her hips and said "Fine. Football head and I will be downstairs while the rest of you geniuses figure out how you feel about your families. Come on headboy."

 _Arnold's Kitchen_

"So, what exactly made you decide to do this Helga?" Arnold asked, taking a seat at the table with her.

"It's no big deal. I'd just like to see if I really have it as bad as my family makes me think I do."

A frown formed on Arnold's face as he reached across the table for her hand and replied "You don't have it bad Helga. Just because you're not close with your family doesn't mean they don't care about you."

 _Arnold's Room_

 _30 minutes later_

The group sat quietly, each one thinking about how their family made them feel.

 _Sid…_

 _Let's see. Well, my dad made me mad today. I mean I can't even go out and enjoy myself without him finding a way to complain about it. It's like he tries to ruin my fun._

 _Harold…_

 _Hmm...parents...parents...well I wish my mom would stop pinching my stupid cheeks all the time. They argue about everything I do. It's like they think I'm some kind of baby._

 _Gerald…_

 _Man, my parents are never going to look at things from my point of view. They don't care that I'm not treated equally._

 _Stinky…_

 _My Pa sure didn't seem to like my paper topic. Of course he's smarter than I am. One day I hope to be as smart as he is._

 _Eugene…_

 _I'm so glad I got to go to the aquarium with my dad today. Maybe next time he'll get to SEE Angel. I love spending time with him. He's the greatest dad ever!_

 _Sheena…_

 _My parents are so sweet and caring. Always making sure to provide me with the healthiest foods, and sending me to such a lovely school. I couldn't ask for anything better._

 _Nadine…_

 _I guess it is pretty cool my parents don't mind I'm always bringing insects into the house. They don't seem too interested in them, but at least they don't nag me about anything like some parents do._

 _Rhonda…_

 _What kind of question is this? No one has better parents than I do. No one's family can provide them with whatever they want, whenever they want, the way mine can for me. Why she would want to embarrass herself like this is beyond me._

 _Phoebe…_

 _I love the support and recognition I receive from my parents for my knowledge and talents. The faith they continue to have in me is quite encouraging as well as motivating._

 _Lila…_

 _My daddy's just ever so sweet. Always allowing me to have friends over, making sure I stay in school, doing whatever he can to make me happy. He's oh too perfect!_

 _One Hour Later_

 _Arnold's Kitchen_

Arnold continued to hold Helga's hand, watching the sad expression that had formed on her face. "Your dad just gets distracted with his work. It's not always easy being a parent when you're in charge of a business."

"Pttss...yeah? How do you explain Miriam? Her biggest obstacle is not having what she needs to make her special smoothies." Helga scoffed.

"Look, I know things aren't always easy for you, but I promise you're not the only one who doesn't have an easy home life." Arnold insisted, scooting his chair closer to the troubled teen.

Running his fingers through her hair, he looked into her sad blue eyes and said "Even if you are, that just proves how strong you are."

Helga let out a substantial swoon, not concerned about who may have heard it. With her dreamy eyes that called out to her beloved's, she leaned in closer to meet his lips. Arnold placed a hand behind her head, stroking her hair gently with his thumb.

The two sat enjoying the feel of each other's company until they heard…

"Was that paper just supposed to be your excuse for some alone time Pataki?"

Arnold and Helga quickly pulled away from each other to see their friends standing in the doorway, ready to hand in their surveys.

Arnold blushed heavily as he said "Oh uhh...you guys done already?"

"Already? It's been at least an hour?" Gerald pointed out, lifting an eyebrow at the question.

"Oh right. Well, I guess I'll see you all tomorrow then." Arnold said, waving goodbye to his friends.

"Later man." Gerald replied, giving Arnold their secret handshake.

After watching them head out the door, Arnold turned to Helga and said "I had a lot of fun tonight. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks of their parents. All that matters is what I think of you." he winked.

Feeling her heart flutter once again at his sweet words, Helga shared a short but sweet kiss with her beloved before saying goodbye for the night.

"See you tomorrow."

"Night football head."

 _Arnold's Kitchen_

As late as it was, Arnold knew he had one thing left to do to prepare for school...give HIS opinion of his parents.

After grabbing a sheet, the blonde boy began thinking about what he had learned about them since the trip.

 _Well, before I met them, I had a hard time believing anyone could just leave their baby like that. Then after I heard their story, I tried to be empathetic. If Gerald or any of my lifelong friends had been in trouble, I probably would have felt the need to go on a mission to save them, as long as I knew my kid was in good hands. Now they're back, and I see how happy they are to have me._

 _I've told them stories about school, my friends, my interests. Because they missed so much, it's like I have a new story to tell them about myself every day. Families can get on each other's nerves just because of how often they see one another doing something. My parents and I still have a lot of catching up to do. It wouldn't even be possible if it wasn't for Helga._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Moment Of Results

It was the day everyone had spent the weekend preparing for. The students entered P.S.118 that day, knowing they would be announcing the results of their carefully thought out questions.

Arnold was heading down the hall with Gerald when he overheard…

"Hello Rhonda! I'm looking oh so forward to hearing the results of your survey." Lila said excitedly.

What appeared to be an evil smile began to stretch across Rhonda's face as she held her papers tight. "Actually Lila, I've found a far more impressive use for the numbers I was given by the class."

Questioning looks appeared on the girls' faces as Nadine asked "What are you talking about?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." the modish girl grinned.

Arnold stopped to watch Rhonda pass him, and said to Gerald "What do you think her new plan is?"

"Beats me." Gerald shrugged his shoulders, while the blonde boy had a feeling the class wasn't going to like Rhonda's _surprise._

 _Classroom_

Once everyone made it to class, Mr. Simmons wasted no time getting started on the presentations. For once, he was there before any of the other students.

"Okay class. I'm assuming you all found time to complete the assignment this weekend. Who would like to go first?"

"I will! I...OW! I'm okay." Eugene said, getting carried away with the exciting idea of announcing the results of his survey.

After the class let out their usual bursts of laughter due to the uncoordinated boy's normal performance, they watched him take his place at the front of the class.

"Good morning everyone! I have the results right here!"

The enthusiastic redhead then wrote on the chalkboard, the survey question and choices for Mr. Simmons.

What is your favorite fish?

Goldfish: A great pet

White Cloud Fish: Adapt well to different temperatures

Swordtail: Peaceful nature

Betta: Aggressive and territorial

Angelfish: Can grow ten inches

"The winner was the Betta fish. You guys really seemed to like that they attack each other." Eugene smiled, not finding that awkward in any way.

"Thank you Eugene. That was a very special report." Mr. Simmons insisted, taking his student's survey results.

After watching her friend take a seat, Sheena volunteered to go next. "I'd be happy to go next Mr. Simmons!"

Dull looks formed on the class' faces. They were no more interested in the results than they were the topic itself.

The polite girl wrote her question and answers on the board for their joyful teacher to see.

What is your favorite healthy snack?

Celery: They're crunchy

Carrots: They come in snack size

Apple: You can eat it with peanut butter

Orange: They're juicy

Banana: They have potassium

"Everyone, the winning choice was a banana! You must love Vitamin B!" Sheena said excitedly, while the class continued to roll their eyes.

Helga leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed, not interested in the results of any of the other surveys. She glanced down at her desk, thinking about what the majority of the class had thought about their parents. While some felt they were mistreated, the majority of them were grateful for their lives.

"Very good Sheena! Next we'll hear from you Sid!" Mr. Simmons pointed to the amphebian loving boy.

The anxious student took his place at the boy to write out his question for the teacher to read.

What's your favorite type of frog?

Glass: See through stomach

Pond: Can survive cold temperatures

Tree: Spends most of its life in trees

Fire-bellied: Red, orange, and yellow sides

Poison-dart: Has enough poison to kill 20,000 mice

"The winner was the Poison-dart frog! My dad wouldn't let me keep the one I found inside." Sid said regretfully.

"Oh, oh my. That does not sound safe." Mr. Simmons said worriedly.

"Does _anything_ poisonous sound safe?" Helga scoffed, causing the class to laugh at her point.

Once the laughs died down, Mr. Simmons watched his student erase the information from the chalkboard. "Thank you Sid. Nadine, why don't you go next?"

The insect lover gladly stood from her seat to approach the front of the room. Wishing she actually had them with her, Nadine began writing the information on the board.

What is your favorite insect?

Grasshopper: Oldest group of chewing insects

Cricket: Only make noise at night

Roach: Range from .25 to 2 inches

Locust: Have a swarming phase

Beetle: Hard wings

"You guys chose the Locust as your favorite." Nadine revealed, before being interrupted.

"Could we actually call someone to send in a swarm of Locusts if we were in a fight?!" Sid asked excitedly.

"Whilikers! That'd be a sweet deal." Stinky agreed.

"Uhh well not exactly Stinky." Mr. Simmons answered, while taking Nadine's paper.

Rhonda rolled her eyes at what she considered to be a poorly chosen topic. Having to sit through it would all pay off by the end of class however.

"Gerald, why don't you go next?" Mr. Simmons motioned for his laid back student to approach the front.

Gerald readily grabbed the chalk, excited to announce the results of his favorite television show.

What is your favorite Pop Daddy character?

Pop Daddy

Marvin: The police officer

Jason: Pop Daddy's best friend

Julie: Pop Daddy's daughter

Grace: Pop Daddy's wife

"Alright my brothers! Time for the results. The winner was Pop Daddy himself!" Gerald said happily.

Watching the proud look on his face, Helga couldn't help but add "You _do_ realize 99.9% of those answers were based on finishing the survey, not having an interest in the show. Doi!"

"I think it's time my man and I planned a double date night. You bring the snacks, and we'll get the movie."

"Gee...I wonder what you've got picked out? *Snore*" Helga rested her head in her hand, snoring at Gerald's movie suggestion.

After the class had gotten it's laughs out, Gerald handed in his paper and took his seat.

"Class, settle down please. Phoebe, I'm sure you've got something very special planned to present." Mr. Simmons insisted.

The small Asian girl made her way towards the front, ready to write her information on the board.

What is your favorite book?

Tuck Everlasting: Based on immortality

A Wrinkle In Time: Traveling through time

The Giver: A dystopian society

Number The Stars: Historical fiction

Schooled: How to mentor students

Once her information was on the board for the teacher to see, Phoebe announced "I'm excited to announce the results were quite close. You appeared to be torn between Tuck Everlasting and A Wrinkle In Time. Tuck Everlasting won by a single point however."

"That's because it was the only book that sounded cool. Not having to worry about dying! I'd never have to waste my time in this classroom again, because I was just going to live forever anyway!" Harold shouted, excited at the thought of being invincible to harm.

"Yes, well I suppose that's one way to look at it Harold. Why don't you come do your report now?" Mr. Simmons said, while watching another of his students complete their presentation.

"Ooohhh okay." Harold sighed, as he slowly stood from his desk. The hefty boy began writing his topic across the board, while Mr. Simmons lifted an eyebrow.

"Okay everybody. I added up all the points from your sheets last night." Harold said proudly.

What is your favorite ice cream?

Mr. Fudgey: Chocolate

Chocolate covered bubblegum drumsticks: Chewy

Sno Cone: Juicy

Ice Cream Sandwich: Easy to eat

Ice Cream Cone: Different flavors

"The winner was an ice cream cone!" Harold said excitedly.

Helga leaned forward in her desk, close enough to whisper in Arnold's ear "Maybe it was Pink boy who should have picked 'Mr. Not So Jolly Olly Man' for career day."

"Whatever you say Helga." the blonde boy softly said.

While Helga continued to lean forward in her desk with her head in her hand, Rhonda took notice of the loving look in her eyes. The thought of humiliating Helga made the idea of delivering her (guaranteed to be) successful survey all the more sweet.

"Thank you for your presentation Harold. It was very...interesting. Lila, you can come up next."

"I'm looking just ever so forward to it!" Lila assured her perky teacher.

While the perfect student was busy writing her question on the board, a certain football headed someone was busy passing back his own note.

 _So which animal did YOU find to be the cutest?_

Helga felt her face turning red. Although no one even noticed the note in her hand, it felt as though the entire class was reading it over her shoulder. She then heard Lila say…

"Okay everyone. I'm oh so happy to announce the results!"

Which is your favorite farm animal?

Cow: They make lifelong friends with each other

Sheep: Quiet and gentle

Goat: Over 300 breeds

Pig: They have temperature preferences

Horse: They can sleep standing up and laying down

"You picked the horse. It reminds me of an oh so sweet one I had on my old farm, named Buttercup!"

Hearing Lila go on about her accomplishments was always enough to bring Helga back to her calm state. After rolling her eyes at the redhead, she wrote her response for Arnold.

The blonde boy felt himself being poked by a sharp point. He turned in his seat to see Helga shoving her note towards him.

 _The cow._

Arnold smiled at the response, loving that every day he found a new example of how he and Helga related to one another.

"That was wonderful Lila. Stinky, you can go next." Mr. Simmons suggested, seeing he was getting to the end of his list.

"I reckon not too many of y'all like Lemon pudding. On account of it didn't get any points." the country boy said, while writing his topic across the board.

"What is your favorite pudding?"

Chocolate Fudge: Chocolate

White Chocolate: White Chocolate

Lemon: Lemons

Vanilla: Vanilla

Strawberry: Strawberries

"Y'all picked Chocolate Fudge for your favorite pudding." Stinky announced.

"Well your description of Lemon Pudding didn't exactly scream _try me!_ " Gerald said wittily.

The class began to laugh at Gerald's remark, while Stinky took that as his que to head for his desk.

"We only have three people left I think. Who would like to go next?"

Arnold knew Helga wasn't going to volunteer. The fact that Rhonda hadn't attempted to draw the spotlight towards herself yet made Arnold believe she really was up to something.

"I guess I'll go." the blonde boy raised his hand.

"Wonderful Arnold!" Mr. Simmons smiled, watching his favorite student approach the board.

Arnold wondered what the point of confronting the class with his topic was. Technically, they didn't even answer their sheets. They just made it clear they never wanted him refusing to help them again.

Do you like when I help you? Yes or No?

Mr. Simmons viewed the question and felt the need to give his opinion. "That's certainly an interesting topic. I know everyone in here loves when you help them Arnold. I can't think of a better person when it comes to supporting others."

Arnold looked to see his class nodding in approval at Mr. Simmons' statement. A smile formed on his face. Whether or not they enjoyed it, it was heartwarming to know how much trust his friends had in him.

The overly pleased boy returned to his seat, knowing it was down to two people. Which performance would cause the biggest commotion?

"Okay, Helga or Rhonda? Which of you would like to go next?" Mr. Simmons asked both girls.

"I'm sure Princess is dying to show where she sits in the class rankings." Helga smirked, while pointing a finger at her classmate.

"Actually Helga, I'd be happy to let you go first." Rhonda said in the sweetest tone she could manage.

"Suit yourself Princess." the pigtailed girl leered, as she made her way to the board.

How do you feel about your parents?

Mr. Simmons viewed the question, intrigued by what he maybe about to hear. The giddy teacher leaned against the window, ready to listen to his student begin her lecture.

"Alright, well after reading your fun opinions about your parents, I saw this class has their ups and downs. Be it from miscommunication or _too much_ time spent with their parents. No one's life is perfect." Helga sighed, looking over at her boyfriend.

A soft smile formed on her face as she met Arnold's half lidded eyes with her own. Thinking back to what he had said the night before, it didn't matter what her family thought...all that mattered was what he thought of her.

"Thank you Helga. Okay Rhonda, we're all eager to hear from you!" Mr. Simmons assured her, while Helga began to head for her desk.

An evil grin formed on Rhonda's face as she rose from her seat and said "You won't be disappointed."

The students watched their classmate write what they expected to say 'How popular are you?'

Instead, the class watched the snooty girl step aside after writing 'The best couple.'

Helga cocked her brow at the board, not knowing where her classmate was going with this.

"Alright everyone. Based on the way you rated each other, along with the class couples, this is where you stand. Gerald and Phoebe are at the top. Harold and Patty came in second. Arnold, I'm sorry to say you and Helga are last."

Before continuing with her explanation, Rhonda heard "Hey! Patty's not even in our class!"

"Uhhh fine Harold!" the modish girl sighed, as she crossed off her upset friend's name on the chart.

After making the change, Rhonda stood out of the way to show she had replaced their names with Stinky and Lemon pudding.

A few snickers took place, while half the class was just as offended as they were confused by this.

"What's your deal, Princess?" Helga demanded to know.

"I simply did this to show the comparison between your relationships. While you and Phoebe both have relationships built on the 'opposites attract' theory, yours and Arnold's ratings still can't compare with theirs. Don't be offended. It's just basic math."

Helga clenched her fists at Rhonda's nerve to humiliate her. Mr. Simmons scratched his head, unsure of whether or not to accept that as an assignment. "Umm well thank you Rhonda."

Rhonda walked back towards her seat with a smile on her face, while Gerald shook his head. "Mm, mm, mmm. That is truly sad."

Moments later, the bell rang for lunch. While Rhonda marched happily out of the room, Arnold turned to his girlfriend and said "I don't care what anyone says, I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend."

Helga's eyes lowered into the same dreamy state they were in moments ago. She was snapped out of her daze when she listened to her best friend say "Arnold's correct Helga. While statistics are a reliable source, they can't compare to the passionate feelings one human being feels for another."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. You still up for that date night?" Helga asked, feeling her boyfriend rub her hand.

"That depends. Are you ready to watch Pop Daddy?"

Rolling her eyes at the question, Helga sighed "Whatever floats your boat football head."


	5. Chapter 5

**In case the original ending seemed too sudden (having stopped after they gave their reports), I added an extra chapter. Hopefully, it won't deteriorate your opinion of the story. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. It means a lot!**

Chapter 5: Where You Stand

 _After School_

Rhonda left school, content with the way her survey had turned out. She had saved face, while once again reminding her classmates where they stood in the line of popularity.

As the wealthy girl walked down the street, she heard a voice call out "Hey Rhonda! Wait up!"

Rhonda turned to see her best friend, motioning for her to give her a chance to catch up. "What is it Nadine?" the snobbish girl asked, not wanting to stick around any longer than necessary.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come to the park with me? I already know which insects I'll be using for the new paper we've been assigned."

After making a repulsed facial gesture at the thought, Rhonda replied "I suppose so. First I need to take my things to my house. I'm not carrying these books around all afternoon."

"Great! Let's go."

 _Video Store_

"Here it is man! The latest edition of Pop Daddy!" Gerald exclaimed, as he held the movie up in front of his friends.

"It looks delightful Gerald." Phoebe smiled, while walking towards the counter with her boyfriend.

Arnold held Helga's hand towards the register, knowing what they were about to watch didn't exactly thrill her, as it did the rest of them.

Feeling the need to say something, he mentioned "So, Mr. Simmons really seemed to like your topic."

The blonde girl turned to give her boyfriend a dull look, as she replied "More than Princess' anyway. His eyes seemed biggest when hearing yours."

Arnold began to blush, thinking about everyone's reaction to his survey. He and Helga approached the counter just in time to hear "Alright man! Let's get back to my place. If we're lucky, Jamie O hasn't eaten all the popcorn."

 _Rhonda's Room_

After making it home, Rhonda set her things by her bed. She wasn't going back out without checking her appearance however.

"One moment Nadine. I just need to fix my hair."

"Okay then." the nature girl replied, as she took a seat at her friend's desk. While waiting for Rhonda to finish fixing herself up, Nadine looked over to see something interesting sitting on the desk.

"What's this Rhonda?"

The stylish girl turned around, still brushing her hair to see her friend holding the original numbers the class had used to rate each other.

 _Gerald's Living Room_

Arnold, Helga, and Phoebe were all sitting on the couch in their friend's living room, while waiting for him to bring the popcorn.

As Phoebe sat prepared with the movie, Arnold said "I think I'll go see if Gerald needs help with anything."

Helga slid down on the couch cushion with her arms crossed, after watching her boyfriend leave the room. Phoebe examined the troubled look on her friend's face and asked "Is anything wrong Helga?"

After letting out a heavy breath, Helga leaned her head in her hand against the arm of the couch. "I keep thinking about that stupid chart Princess showed in class. She just can't go a day without finding a way to humiliate me."

"While Rhonda's unnecessary need to point out where you and Arnold stand with your relationship may have seemed inappropriate, she was just being herself." Phoebe explained, as her friend began to lift her head from her hand.

Cocking her brow at the excuse, Helga asked "What's that in English?"

"Well, when you think about it Helga, your desire to maintain your reputation doesn't always end in the fairest ways. Your continuous need to remind the class of where you stand in line of aggression, is quite similar to Rhonda's when it comes to popularity. You may have more in common than you think."

Helga rolled her eyes at the reasonable remark. The idea of finding a common ground (let alone having one) with Rhonda seemed as unlikely as it did ridiculous.

 _Rhonda's Room_

After snatching the list away from her friend, Rhonda replied "Oh please! I simply used it to rate the couples in the class."

Nadine continued to sit while frowning at her friend. "Something tells me you decided to exclude half the people on that list from your report, after finding out you weren't the most popular student in the class."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Rhonda insisted, as she began walking away with the paper.

Nadine thought back to the people Rhonda _had_ included in her presentation…

Gerald and Phoebe

Arnold and Helga

Harold and Patty

Thinking about this reminded her of something. The curious girl looked over at her friend who was now standing in front of the mirror which sat on her dresser. Rhonda continued eyeing herself until she listened to her friend say…

"You know Rhonda, just because not everyone in the class is an official couple, doesn't mean they don't like anyone."

Turning swiftly to face her friend, Rhonda placed a hand on her waist and asked "What's your point?"

 _Gerald's Kitchen_

"One bag of popcorn left. Talk about luck man!" Gerald said excitedly, while placing the movie snack in the microwave.

"Yeah, this should be…" Arnold began, before being interrupted by a small voice.

"Gerald!"

"Not now Tim. We're getting ready to watch a movie." Gerald sighed at his little sister. He couldn't get through one visit with his friends, without his siblings doing something to ruin the fun.

"Can I watch too!" the excited little girl asked.

"No! It's not for kids." Gerald said in a harsh tone, pointing for his sister to leave the room.

"But you always say that!" Timberly sobbed, after being excluded from the activity.

Arnold and his friend watched the little girl race away, just as the popcorn dinged. Not caring about his sister's feelings, Gerald asked "Well man, ready for some fun?"

"Yeah. Let's get to it."

 _Rhonda's Room_

"I do not like Harold! That is completely ridiculous!" Rhonda shouted, with her hands on her hips.

Nadine looked at her friend, who appeared to be insulted. She stood from the desk chair as she explained "Rhonda, we know you've liked him before. According to the points on this chart, the overall score of you two as a couple is half a point lower than Arnold and Helga's.

The modish girl's eyes widened as she glanced down at the sheet on the dresser behind her…

Arnold - 10

Gerald - 9

Helga - 4

Phoebe - 7

Rhonda - 7

Nadine - 6

Harold - 6

Sid - 5

Stinky - 5

Eugene - 1

Sheena - 3

Lila - 9

Rhonda could feel her heart beginning to pound after doing the math in her head. If anyone found out such a terrifying fact, things would once again be ruined.

"Don't you dare speak a word of this to anyone!"

 _Gerald's Living Room_

"Pop! Pop! Pop Daddy!" the excited boy sang, while doing the hand motions to go along with the song.

Helga cocked her brow at her friend's enthusiasm, wondering if he knew how ridiculous he looked.

"Criminy. You seriously put up with this?" the pigtailed girl asked her football headed boyfriend.

Arnold smiled as he took Helga's hand in his. Rubbing it with his thumb, he replied "Don't worry, you'll like it once the music ends."

 _Rhonda's Room_

"I won't tell anyone Rhonda, but you should think about your opinion of everyone. Being popular isn't just about how nice you look, which is why you didn't receive everyone's vote." Nadine assured her friend.

Rhonda turned her nose up at her friend's reasonable remark, not knowing how anyone could care about anything else.

 _Gerald's House_

"Oh man! He almost had him!" Gerald shouted with excitement at the television. Phoebe watched her boyfriend leaning forward, filled with anticipation about what would happen next.

"Where'd this guy learn his detective skills? Clue?" Helga scoffed, leaning back against the couch with her arms and legs crossed. Arnold wrapped his arm around the uninterested girl and whispered "Not everyone's an expert at following people."

Helga blushed heavily as she sunk further down in her seat. Although it seemed loud enough for their friends to hear, nothing could distract Gerald at the moment. Aside from Runaway Bus Driver, nothing could grab hold of his attention so thoroughly.

Arnold rubbed Helga's shoulder back and forth, knowing there was a good chance she wouldn't find anything about the movie interesting. That was okay though. He was just enjoying the close feeling the two of them were sharing. Who cared if they were the least popular couple in the class? The only approval they needed was each other's.

 _Two Hours Later_

 _Walk_

After spending most of the afternoon debating on the importance of keeping the results a secret, Rhonda began heading towards the park with Nadine. The two walked in silence. Nadine felt she had said everything necessary to Rhonda, while Rhonda couldn't stop considering the meaning behind the chart. Nadine said her couple's rating was even lower than Helga's. Was she really so picky, it was that unlikely for her to build a decent relationship.

 _Gerald's House_

Gerald's favorite music once again played when the movie came to an end. The group then turned to Helga as they listened to Gerald ask "So, what did you think Pataki?"

Looking away from the cool boy, Helga felt her boyfriend once again rubbing her hand. She looked into his hopeful eyes, knowing all he wanted was for her to be happy. A soft smile formed on her face as she replied "Eh, I've seen worse I guess."

"Good enough for me." Gerald replied, as he stood to take out the movie.

Arnold rose from the couch with his girlfriend and said "It's getting late. We should get going."

Gerald turned to give his best friend their secret handshake, while Phoebe stood to hug her friend.

"See ya Pheebs." Helga said to her supportive friend.

"I had a lovely night with you Helga."

 _Walk_

The girls were turning the corner of the street, when a familiar incident occurred...THUMP!

"Watch where you're going Princess!" Helga scowled, still holding Arnold's hand.

Rhonda stood there, dusting herself off in annoyance. Just as she was about to toss an insult in return, she looked at the happy couple in front of her. Her low chart ratings and attempt to embarrass them hadn't had any effect whatsoever on them.

"Sorry you guys." Nadine apologized, while continuing to head towards the park.

Arnold watched Rhonda continuing to stand quietly before them. He lifted an eyebrow and asked "Are you okay Rhonda?"

The modish girl let out a deep breath as she replied "Yes. In fact, I would like to apologize."

Helga cocked her brow at the thought. Since when did Princess Rhonda Wellington Lloyd admit fault to anything?

"What for?" Arnold was curious to know.

"Perhaps I was too quick to judge your relationship. I have seen worse couples after all."

"Pttss...you mean like you with Curly." Helga couldn't help but remind her.

"Right. Well that's all I wanted to say." Rhonda waved, as she went to catch up with her friend.

Arnold looked over at his girlfriend. Smiling at her, he said "Looks like everything worked out."

"The year's not over yet football head. There's still plenty more surveys to do." Helga warned him, not getting her hopes up about their friends just yet.

"Whatever you say Helga."

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **THANKS FOR READING**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_


End file.
